OCSA: Frequently Asked Questions
Certification exams can be taken online from anywhere in the world (webcam proctored) or with our authorized training providers. Individuals wanting to take the exam can contract directly with ONF Approved Training & Exam Providers.
Pricing is $150 for Associate exam and ONF Members will receive a 10% discount. If you fail the test, you may retake the test, but the fee will not carry over. You will need to pay each time you take the test.
The OCSA 2.0 exam is the OCSA updated as of August 2020 to reflect the changes and progress of SDN over the past several years. The original OCSA exam will be available to purchase until January 2021, so if you have already begun studying and / or purchased the original exam you will be able to take it until August 2021. After August 2021, only the OCSA 2.0 will be available.
You will be able to apply your purchase of the original OCSA exam towards the OCSA 2.0 exam.
Training is NOT mandatory, but in our experience those who take the courses receive higher pass marks and have a higher chance of passing the exam. ONF does not provide training itself, but has a network of Approved Training Providers who can assist you with your individual or corporate training needs.
- For OCSA 2.0:
An excellent resource for the OCSA 2.0 exam is “Software Defined Networks: A Systems Approach”, an open source micro-book that offers an understanding of SDN-based networking and presents a tour of how SDN works, its architecture and common use cases. - For OCSA (the original exam, available through 2020):
Our partner, ITPreneurs, a leading provider of IT training and content services sells a self-study guide that covers the basics of SDN including an overview of the concepts, definitions and open source initiatives in the SDN arena (applicable for the original OCSA exam). ONF Members can purchase this self-study guide at a discount by clicking here.
- For OCSA 2.0:
For the ONF-Certified SDN Associate certification, hands-on familiarity with SDN technologies may not be necessary. Many of our Approved Training Providers do provide a hands-on component as part of their training, but it is not strictly necessary. Please contact them directly for more information.
If you take an ONF exam and do not pass it, ONF requires that you wait 24 hours before taking it again. If you do not pass the exam a second time, you must wait seven (7) days. If an ONF Exam is taken three (3) times without a passing score, you must wait 30 days to take it again.
It is the policy of ONF and the exam providers to revoke or refuse a credential to any person suspected of using unauthorized materials obtained using websites that advertise exact copies of ONF exams. Furthermore, anyone caught cheating on any ONF certification exam will be ineligible for participation in the program for 5 years.
You can expect to receive a pdf certificate along with the appropriate ONF credential logo in an email about 3 weeks after you have completed the online exam.
ONF promotes a “green” process whenever it can. Our ONF certifications come in the form of a pdf. Along with that, you get the CSDN logos to put on your business cards, stationery, or badges, as well as add to your LinkedIn or social profile. If you opted in during registration for the exam, ONF may promote you on LinkedIn and on the ONF website once you become certified.
